Does fat make you fat?

For a long time fat has been labeled as the enemy. It was banished from our diets and many food companies began producing fat free or reduced fat products, merchandising them as the perfect solution. The problem with this fat free processed foods is that they have a lot of ingredients added to give them flavour, including sugar and fillers that can make you fat and unhealthy. This is why it is always better to stick to real foods with ingredients you know and can pronounce easily.

Fat plays an important role in our lives, the important thing is knowing which kind of fat to include in your diets. In this post I will share with you a small overview so you can make better and more informed choices in the future.

Polyunsaturated fats: This types of fat are more solid than monounsaturated fats, but still become liquid when exposed to room temperature. It can be found in vegetable oils, including safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils, as well as in nuts and seeds. This type of fats contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, which are also essential to our brain and heart health. These can be found in flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts and in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna.

BAD FATS

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are found in full fat milk, meat, cream, butter and lots of processed foods. Even though some saturated fat it not bad for the body, the current diet habits usually contain too much of it and can be harmful for the body.

Trans fats are the most damaging of all fats because they are made through a process called hydrogenation which changes the structure of the molecules. Part of the problem with this kind of fat is that it is difficult for the body to metabolise and it is not a good source of energy. As a result, it can elevate your LDL cholesterol (bad) increasing your chances of getting type 2 diabetes, stroke or heart attack. Foods that contain trans fats include fried or battered food, margarine, shortening and most supermarket processed foods. They are also present naturally in foods such as in dairy and meat, but this is not a cause of concern if you do not exaggerate your portions.

Start introducing more healthy fats into your diet to get all the benefits your body needs. Here are a few delicious recipes that will help you to introduce more fats into your meals: